Drought-reduced harvest threatens food security in
Indonesia

El Niño-related drought, considered to be the
worst in half a century, has reduced food production in
Indonesia and exacerbated forest fires, adversely affecting
the food security of the poorer sectors of the population.
The Asian financial turmoil, which affected several
countries including Indonesia, has also played its part in
aggravating the food situation through a reduced import
capacity and domestic price rises due to currency
devaluation. The price rises, which sparked-off riots in
several towns, are reported to have been accentuated bypanic
buying and hoarding by traders.

Paddy production in 1997 is provisionally estimated to be
some 2 million tonnes below the previous year's output of
51.1 million tonnes, mainly reflecting the drought damage to
crops harvested in the later part of the year. The maize
crop has also been affected. In addition to foodcrops,
drought has reduced the output of coffee, cocoa and rubber,
resulting in a contraction in incomes and erosion of
purchasing power of the farmers dependent on such crops.